Abstract: There is provided a head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a disk drive. The HGA includes a slider and a flexure. The slider includes first, second and third electrically conductive pads disposed upon a trailing side. The first electrically conductive pad is disposed between the second and third electrically conductive pads. The flexure includes first, second, and third patterned conductive traces respectively electrically connected to the first, second, and third electrically conductive pads. The first patterned conductive trace is disposed between the second and third patterned conductive traces in a flexure body portion.

Abstract: A flexure is provided for a HGA suspension. The flexure includes a metal base layer, a trace layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the trace and base layers. The metal base layer includes a heat sink portion. The trace layer includes a plurality of conductive traces, each conductive trace having a curved section that terminates in a trace termination pad. The dielectric layer includes a portion that underlies the trace termination pads and overlies the heat sink portion. The base layer and the dielectric layer each also include a window. The curved section of each conductive trace extends over the window of the base layer. The curved section of each conductive trace may at least partially extend over the window of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for use in a disk drive includes a first read head and a coarse actuator. The coarse actuator includes a coarse actuator body and a first actuator arm extending away from the coarse actuator body. The first actuator arm has a proximal end attached to the coarse actuator body and a distal end. The actuator assembly further includes a first microactuator attached to the distal end of the first actuator arm. The first microactuator supports the first read head. The actuator assembly further includes a first force-balancing microactuator attached to the distal end of the first actuator arm without any read head attached to the first force-balancing microactuator.

Abstract: A precision grinding apparatus includes a grinding worm for precision grinding a case-hardened face gear. A shaper is first placed into contact with a face gear, to thereby shape a surface of the face gear into a plurality of face gear teeth. The shaper is then removed, and the face gear is case hardened. The grinding worm is disposed in a normal orientation to the case-hardened face gear and includes a spiral tooth extending along a perimeter of the grinding worm. The spiral tooth of the grinding worm is adapted to contact and precision grind the case-hardened gear. A dressing tool includes a protrusion for contacting the spiral tooth of the grinding worm, as the spiral tooth contacts and precision grinds the case-hardened face gear. The dressing tool thus maintains the shape of the grinding worm to within a desired tolerance range.